By Baboloki Semele— In a bold step toward accelerating sustainable infrastructure development across the continent, the African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with the African Union Development Agency–NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), will convene a high-level roundtable series in Addis Ababa from 9–12 June 2025. Supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the European Union, the forum aims to unlock critical climate finance for Africa’s flagship infrastructure projects under the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA).  Set against the backdrop of a growing infrastructure deficit and a climate finance shortfall, the consultations come at a crucial moment. According to the AfDB, Africa requires between USD 130–170 billion annually to meet its infrastructure needs, yet access to climate finance remains disproportionately low. The roundtable series, themed “Mobilizing Climate Finance for Africa’s Infrastructure Future,” seeks to bridge this gap by enhancing project bankability and aligning infrastructure plans with the continent’s climate and just transition goals. This four-day event, to be held at Best Western Plus in Addis Ababa, will gather key stakeholders from government, development finance institutions, private sector, and climate investment bodies. The programme is split into two major roundtables:

• Transport Sector Roundtable (9–10 June) – will address green corridors, rail connectivity, and aviation infrastructure, spotlighting transformational projects like the VICMED Corridor, Central Corridor Railway, and the Mombasa–Nairobi–Kampala SGR.

• Energy Sector Roundtable (11–12 June) – will focus on renewable energy expansion and regional electricity market integration, featuring key projects such as the Jafara Solar and Wind Groundwater Project, Luapula Hydropower Project, and the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) Carbon Market Initiative.

Each roundtable will host Project Structuring Clinics, where project proponents present live cases to panels of financial, technical, and climate experts. This hands-on support is designed to refine the investment readiness of infrastructure proposals and lay the groundwork for investor engagement at the upcoming Luanda Infrastructure Financing Summit in October 2025. The consultations will result in:

• Sector-specific policy recommendations for climate finance mobilization;

• Improved structuring and alignment of infrastructure projects with climate investment criteria;

• Strengthened institutional capacities among African Union Member States and Regional Economic Communities (RECs);

• An enhanced pipeline of climate-resilient, bankable infrastructure projects.

“The scale of the challenge demands a new level of coordination and innovation,” said a representative from AUDA-NEPAD. “This process is about ensuring that Africa’s infrastructure agenda speaks the language of climate finance and resilience while meeting the urgent development needs of our people.”

Participants will include:

• Representatives of AUC, AUDA-NEPAD, AfDB, UNECA;

• National infrastructure authorities and REC representatives;

• Climate finance institutions including the Green Climate Fund, GET.invest, GET.pro, and Global Gateway Africa;

• DFIs such as the World Bank, KfW, InfraCo, IFC, and Ecobank;

• Private investors and actors from the Africa Single Electricity Market (AfSEM) and the Continental Power Systems Master Plan (CMP).

This coalition of stakeholders is expected to deepen alignment across public-private partnerships and galvanize momentum toward realizing the ambitions of PIDA PAP 2, which identifies 69 priority projects for implementation by 2030, at a cost of over USD 160 billion.

The Addis Ababa roundtable serves as a critical milestone on the Road to Luanda, where the Luanda Infrastructure Financing Summit will convene in October 2025. Co-hosted by the Government of Angola, AUDA-NEPAD, and the AUC, the summit will present the refined infrastructure projects to a global audience of investors, financiers, and development partners.

By aligning PIDA projects with climate resilience strategies and enhancing their bankability, the African Union and its partners are working to unlock sustainable finance solutions that support the dual objectives of infrastructure development and environmental sustainability. These actions also reinforce Africa’s commitments under the Paris Agreement and the Agenda 2063 vision of a peaceful, prosperous, and integrated continent.